THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) has professed ignorance over the nullification of the red card awarded to Dynamos star player Christian Epoupa.

Masvingo referee Arnold Ncube red carded the Cameroonian after he head butted Highlanders defender Peter Mudhuwa during the Castle Lager Premiership match at Rufaro on Sunday.

Dynamos, in glaring violation of PSL rules and regulations, wrote a letter of protest to ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa who also chairs the Zifa referees committee.

The committee then met to deliberate on the protest letter and resolved to rescind the red card which has been met with disapproval from football stakeholders.

PSL issued a statement Tuesday arguing they were not consulted as should be the norm.

“PSL has not received a letter of protest from Dynamos or communication from ZIFA regarding the expulsion of a Dynamos FC Player during a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match between Dynamos and Highlanders at Rufaro on Sunday, 10 September 2017.”

More importantly, there was no US$1000 protest fee which is supposed to be lodged with the PSL through the General Secretariat. It’s also very clear that the protest is not made against the referee’s and/or assistant referee’s decision connected with play, such decisions being final.

Order 30.1 of the PSL rules and regulations on protests state that “Any club involved in a match may lodge a protest with the League in respect of any match played under the auspices of the League, provided that: 30.1.1 The protesting club participated in the same game.

A written protest, accompanied by a protest fee of US$1 000, 00 (One thousand dollars) is lodged with the General Secretariat of the League within 48 (forty eight) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays) of the game; and 30.1.2.4 The written protest referred to in order 30.1 above sets out the full facts on which it is based and refers to the Article and/ or Rule and Regulation allegedly contravened by the offending party; and 30.1.2.5

The protest is not made against the referee’s and/ or assistant referee’s decision connected with play, such decisions being final.

30.2 The onus is on the protesting club to ensure that the provisions of regulations 30.1 above are fully complied with, and no protest shall be entertained by the League Secretariat, if the said provisions are not fully complied with, except that the Chief Executive Officer of the League may decide to treat it as a complaint. Should the protest not comply with the said provisions, the protest fee shall be refunded to the protesting club.

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30.5 The Chief Executive Officer of the League shall, after considering the protests: 30.5.1 Dismiss the protest if:- 30.5.1.1 The protests is frivolous or vexatious; or 30.5.1.2 the evidence placed before him discloses no prima facie evidence of an offence/ act of misconduct on the part of the offending party; in which case the protest fee shall be forfeited to the League.”

The latest developments mean Epoupa is now highly unlikely to play in the Harare derby on Sunday.